The present invention relates to a drive system for driving at least one and preferably, a plurality of components, and more particularly to a drive system having a multi-drive plate for securedly mounting and accurately positioning a plurality of drive system components on a single member. The present invention also relates to a drive system having a single drive belt for being driven by at least one driving member and a multi-drive plate for supporting and aligning the driving member and the driven component.
Conventional drive systems for driving a plurality of driven components, such as alternators, generators, compressors, evaporators, hydraulic pumps, water pumps, fans, etc. typically use a driving motor connected to the driven components via several belts and a plurality of pulleys on the driven components. Usually, most, if not all of the driven components and driving motor are connected and supported by separate support members. The conventional drive systems may also include an auxiliary or supplemental driving device, such as an electric motor, for independently driving the driven components. The auxiliary driving device may be supported by a separate support member.
There are several disadvantages associated with the conventional drive systems described above. First, the construction of such a drive system is complicated because each of the plurality of belts must be mounted on a plurality of pulleys. Then, each of the belts must be properly tensioned and adjusted. Any one of these belts can break due to wear or become loosened during operation of the drive system. Also, the desired tension in each of the belts is difficult to maintain and frequent adjustment of the tension of the belts is necessary.
The plurality of pulleys and belts used to connect driven devices to a driving device requires an elaborate frame for supporting the drive system. The mounting of the driven components and driving members usually requires the use of brackets, struts, braces, etc. Such support structures increase the difficulty in assembling the conventional drive systems and often prevent access to the belts. Therefore, the support structures may have to be removed to service the belts or other components. In addition, because the driven components are mounted via independent mounting devices and vibrate at different frequencies, a separate vibration damping member is usually required for each driven component and driving member which increases costs and assembly time. Also, the driven components are often installed on both sides of the belts where access to the belts is obstructed so that replacement of the belts requires removal of some of the driven components. Further, the complicated mounting of the driving devices and driven components makes it difficult to align the pulleys of each of the driving devices and driven components.
Thus, there exists a need for a more easily accessible drive system for driving at least one driven component without the need for a plurality of driving belts located in between a driving device and the driven component. There is also a need for a drive system that is easier to assemble and repair than conventional drive systems and that can be applied to a variety of different applications.